


Depth

by teapotscandal, XanderB



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Blood, Bonding, Bottom Eren Yeager, Courting Rituals, Drama & Romance, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Fish Smut, Fluff and Smut, Humour, M/M, Mating, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Rituals, Mpreg, Nesting, Omega Eren Yeager, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Shark and fish anatomy, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Violence, mermaids/merman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:27:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25210864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teapotscandal/pseuds/teapotscandal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/XanderB/pseuds/XanderB
Summary: Levi’s brow furrowed in confusion, one set of eyelids blinking before a second set mimicked the first over opaque mercury as the dark striped and speckled Requiem looked between the elder Mer and the cowering Omegas on the ocean floor, ignoring the snicker that came from the female reef shark some feet behind him. He and his squad of about twelve had been travelling, seeking out new hunting grounds. And obliterating or scaring off any other clans that got in their way. Most that they'd come across had fled and the ones that hadn't had been decimated and devoured mercilessly. This… whatever this was was new.***Maybe it isn't Mermay anymore, but if we really need a reason... Sharkfest 2020 kicks off next weekend on National Geographic. That counts, right?
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Mike Zacharias, Furlan Church/Isabel Magnolia, Hange Zoë/Petra Ral, Levi/Eren Yeager, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 22
Kudos: 294





	1. Barter

**Author's Note:**

> Xander here. Yes, I am alive... We know it's been a while. It has a lot to do with how turbulent my life has been for the last while and just when we finally thought things were settling down, the damned pandemic began, which has caused its own kind of chaos. You'd think we'd be able to spend all our time writing our worries away, but unfortunately, that just hasn't been the case. For months now, we have been attempting to get back into things properly and it seems at every turn we somehow get disrupted in one way or another. It's only recently that we have been able to get to work properly on our more popular works and we're hoping to have some updates for some of them in the next few weeks and months as we continue to weather this storm as best we can. We figured it might be nice to share some more of these works that have previously just been left unshared and collecting digital dust in our docs. Even if we catch any shit for posting new stuff, it's not really new and I'm of the opinion that something is better than nothing. 
> 
> Anyhow, you readers, old and new, can enjoy and expect more of these random fic bits in the next while mixed in with updates to requested fics as we work on them. Keep in mind, we are doing our best to make time for writing as much as we can and we definitely appreciate all your support and patience while we attempt to find our groove again. 
> 
> Also, just as a side note, my (Xander) tumblr xanderb-ao3 is currently inaccessible to me because tumblr generally sucks and their customer service is... lacking. Therefore, you can feel free to email me personally (xander_bradeshaw@hotmail.com) or direct polite asks to teapotscandal.
> 
> Alright now that that's over with, 
> 
> Enjoy!

“Our Omega _desirable_ , you see,” Chief Pixis said in broken Requiem, showing off his pointy teeth in what was an attempt at a lecherous smile that just came off desperate, gesturing to the group of brightly coloured Omega laid out on the ocean floor beside him. Their usually long and flowing fins were all tucked into themselves, trying to appear smaller and hide, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn’t be picked. Alpha and Omega alike were prostrated before the predator tribe, hoping to interest the leader with an Omega or two instead of being eaten or enslaved. Eyes lowered on the ocean sand, and gills bared, only one Omega seemed to be able to sneak glances up at the fearsome Requiems, having never seen a predator before and too curious not to look.

Levi’s brow furrowed in confusion, one set of eyelids blinking before a second set mimicked the first over opaque mercury as the dark striped and speckled Requiem looked between the elder Mer and the cowering Omegas on the ocean floor, ignoring the snicker that came from the female reef shark some feet behind him. He and his squad of about twelve had been travelling, seeking out new hunting grounds. And obliterating or scaring off any other clans that got in their way. Most that they'd come across had fled and the ones that hadn't had been decimated and devoured mercilessly. This… whatever this was was new. 

Requiems didn't fraternize with their more docile Mer cousins and they certainly didn't mate with them. Trade and interaction was generally strained and only done in neutral zones when necessary. Most Requiem clans were low in numbers mainly because they didn't much care for one another either. Breeding was an ordeal in and of itself, resulting in lower birth rates and even lower numbers of matebonded pairs. Levi was heir to his clan, a warrior, hunter, and powerful Alpha with a reputation for being ruthless and he was expected to produce another heir, but he had no interest. He'd been putting off the responsibility, hoping that he might altogether escape the obligation once he took his uncle's place. And now…

His sharp eyes caught and held a pair of strikingly green obscured by tendrils of pearlescent and silky fins, nothing like his own, unlike any of his Requiem kin. He didn't break his stare from the smaller Omega Mer’s as he replied offhandedly in the guttural tongue of his kind, “Desirable is a relative term.” 

He could feel the pressure in the water shift as his party did, spread out around him and peering with some interest at the vibrant and distinctly frightened Mers before them. “What relevance is there in beauty when faced with death? Or is it that you mean to wager peaceable passage by offering up a few to spare the many?” He questioned, refusing to acknowledge the mix of intrigued and scathing murmurs from his comrades, still watching the particularly curious and alluring Omega that kept sneaking bold glances his way.

Pixis bowed his head once again, face scrunching as he tried to decipher the Requiem’s words. “No _sacrifice_... Not for eating... Omega pretty, docile...obedient, _fertile_... No eat... Willing bonded,” he explained haltingly, lifting his hands to hold open to the Alpha predator before he noticed the leader’s eyes on one of their Omegas. Seeing a glimmer of hope, Pixis reached down to snatch the Omega by the hand and lifted him to their level. “Look! See,” he offered, gesturing to the comely Mer struggling in his grip, “Eren… never bonded! Still young… yes?” 

Eren glared up at Pixis, fins flaring in distress and the Omega was unable to stop them, the flowing prismatic tendrils billowing out around him. Pixis suddenly had Eren by the cheeks, and though the Omega struggled, the elder Mer pried his jaw open. “Nice mouth. Good blood,” Pixis said, unworried by the Omega’s struggling, and chuckling nervously when Eren snapped his teeth at him as soon as Pixis let him go. He finally turned Eren in his grip, hand pushing down Eren’s fins to show off the Omega’s tail. “No small… good breeding… You want pups, Alpha? Omega give many pups…” 

Levi hummed, but was hardly listening, his attention drawn to the shifting malachite sunset that painted _Eren’s_ fanned fins, captivated by the display. Such vibrance was seldom found among his own cohort and certainly never in such delicate and splendid array as were the Omega’s colours. The fierceness reflected in his iridescent irises seemed fitting and was much more attractive than what features the elder was demonstrating. And Levi wanted him. Abruptly and intensely.

He didn’t answer the older male, his own jasper and charcoal patterned tail propelling him closer, circling the pair slowly, though his pupiless eyes remained fixed on the Omega, narrowing as they lingered on the places the elder held him. Suddenly and forcibly, he thrust the elder away from the Omega with one lethal hand, ignoring the scrambling of the anxious onlookers still bellied on the seabed in response to the seemingly unprovoked display of aggression, his demanding and predatory dominance clouding the water as if daring anyone to oppose. When he did finally speak again, it was as he reached with that same soot-dark webbed and clawed hand towards Eren, “Come. I’ll have you.” Not that he knew exactly what he was going to _do_ with the other Mer once he had him, but from the shifting and seemingly excited response from his squad, he could assume that his decision was an acceptable one. 

Eren immediately backed away, swiping out with his claws defensively as he hissed at the predator. Even if he was intrigued by the scary Alpha, he'd never thought the predator would have interest in _him_. There were much prettier Omegas in the bunch, like Petra with her flowing scarlet and rose fins, or even Armin with his turquoise lapiz. The only reason the Omega could think the Alpha would choose him was for a meal. 

The entire tribe gasped in horror at Eren’s insolence, Pixis even hissing from behind him, “You’ll kill us all, you insolent child!” But that didn’t make Eren stop his defensive posturing; no, it only made him flare his fins more, trying to make himself look as big and as intimidating as possible. It was only until there was a flash of gold, and suddenly an older female Mer was behind Eren, pressing her hand into his neck, and making Eren’s eyes grow wide with shock. Immediately Eren lost consciousness, floating in the water until he fell in her outstretched arms. The older Omega, clearly his mother, whispered into his ear, “You cannot fight him… The only chance you have is to seduce the Alpha and get him to bond you… Be safe, my baby.” She looked back at the Alpha and slowly held out her arms, offering the predator the limp form of her only child. 

Pixis swallowed hard, his fins rustling around him. “Our Omegas are… Requiems at heart… Would other… Of your clan… Wish to claim?” He asked haltingly, clearly terrified and trying to save his own neck. 

The female and elder were lucky Hange caught him before Levi ripped them apart for _their_ insolence and interference. He’d found himself grinning toothily, unoffended by Eren’s bold vehemence, mildly surprised, but decidedly delighted. Afraid as he must be, he did not cower; a fine Omega and the prettiest Levi’d ever seen. To say the sharp, but fond smile was short-lived would be understating how quickly it had turned to something menacing. When the female interfered, no matter her relation to the Omega, it was replaced by a snarl that not only demonstrated the very real threat of his wrath, but also revealed the subset row of teeth that lay beyond the first frightening set in his mouth. 

He growled and struggled against the Reef Requiem as Hange restrained him with some difficulty, scolding him amusedly, “Stop it, that's no way to greet your new in-laws princeling.”

“They should know better then,” Levi snapped at her and continued to growl, but stopped thrashing, “And don’t call me that.” Both turned their attention back to the elder when he spoke up again persistently, quite obviously trying the smooth over the sudden tension. Hange let Levi go and he rolled his shoulders and shook out his cramped fins. 

He looked at the elder Mer for several long seconds, snorting and sending a scattering of angry little bubbles into the sea before he turned back towards the female that held Eren against her protectively, though when he spoke, it was directed at the Chief, “It is good that your Omega are so,” he reached for Eren, “Since it seems your Alpha are so cowardly, you would be otherwise dead without them.” 

The female looked at him imploringly as she came forward to pass the younger Omega to him. He was careful when he held him, tucking his feathered fins in around him with profound tenderness, so that they would not be in the way when Levi started moving. He spared the female a brief moment, inclining his head as she bore her neck to him though her eyes did not stray from the Omega in his arms. He understood her relation then and forgave her her actions because a good mother protected their children at any cost. 

He turned his back to her and addressed his own kin, relaying to them what the elder had offered. They were all already drifting closer, especially Hange; she always had to have a closer look. “If you want them, take them, but they're not for consumption,” he ordered and immediately several of the group quickened through the water, curious and quite interested as they approached the still skittish Omegas lingering near the ocean floor, movements becoming gentler and subtly calling to them as they tried to coax them away from one another.

A few Omegas fainted and others curled into balls, trying to bury themselves in the sand as soon as the Requiems drew near. Only three Omegas seemed to be able to withstand the predators' proximity. One fiery redhead with green eyes not unlike Eren’s and a violet speckled magenta tail was hissing and spitting like he had as another ash-haired Requiem boldly drew closer and closer. Then Petra with her rose gold hair and pretty red and pink fins; she was shaking, but managed to _almost_ smile as Hange inspected her from upside down. Finally Armin, the small flaxen blonde with his polished turquoise blue scale. He was inching closer to Levi and Eren though crying and distressed, he was obviously trying to see if his friend was alright even if it brought him closer to an uncommonly large, beefy blonde Lemon Requiem that was quite obviously scenting him in the water.

“Look Princeling, I think she likes me,” Hange exclaimed across the not so great distance of sea between them, grinning way too widely with literally _all_ of her teeth on display as she circled excitedly around the petite Mer with the sun-dappled strawberry hair. “She’s so pretty and cute, I could just eat her up!” 

Levi grimaced at the sheer volume of her voice and turned around again to shush her. He didn’t see it; the little female looked rather constipated in his opinion, her wide amber eyes reflecting Hange’s grin with something like horrified awe, probably imagining the overeager female Reef chowing down on her tiny body. He shook his head, muttering to himself, “And I’m the one that’s scary,” before he called, “I think you’re a lunatic and I question every day why I keep you close to me.”

She only laughed, sending a spray of bubbles towards the Mer she was apparently smitten with, the beaded spheres getting caught among the strands of her hair ticklishly. Levi would’ve pinched the bridge of his nose had he had a free hand. “Whatever, if the lot of you want to get home and eat before the day is out, we need to move out. No use wasting more time when there’s no food here.”

The Requiems all perked up, listening to the commanding authority of their leader, even Hange though she was still smiling away like an idiot. They did not waste any more time on subtlety as those that had chosen an Omega quite suddenly swooped in to collect them, a cacophony of bubbles, squeaks, yelps, hissing and upset chirping disturbing the flow of the water and causing the rest of the Mers to scatter. Levi only heaved a sigh, gills flicking with exasperated annoyance as he took his position amongst the ranks of his kin. This was not at all the outcome he’d had in mind for this hunt. 

***

When Eren awoke, his head ached from his mother's impromptu press on his nape. The Omega hissed as he sat up, rubbing his neck as he chirped to himself unhappily. It took a moment and a couple blinks of his double eyelids before he was able to comprehend he wasn’t back at home with his mother in their nest at the bottom of a forest of kelp. No, the place he was in was dark, cold, and filled with rock formations. Was he in a cave? His people loved the warmth from the light that streamed down from the surface and there were very few that would nest in a cave. 

So Eren _was_ taken after all. His mother couldn’t save him. 

Laying back down into what seemed to be a bed made out of kelp and other soft ocean plants carved into a dip in the rock, he contemplated his next move. He needed to find his way out of the cave and swim away, back to his mother. Of course they couldn’t stay on tribe land anymore; they would have to follow the currents and head somewhere else since their territory was now Requiem territory. 

But for now. He needed to get out of this cave. 

The biggest problem for Eren was that it was dark. His eyes couldn’t see that well with so little light. He managed to find a wall by feeling around with his clawed hands outstretched in front of him, then began following the wall until he could find a tunnel or an opening. Maybe even some light to guide him better. 

He fumbled around what felt like forever until there was a sudden light that instantly blinded him. Did he find the way out? 

Levi used his tail to hold the long fingers of seaweed out of the way of the entrance as he made his way inside, arms full with nets of various fish, crustacean, and mollusk that he had hunted out and collected with his new Omega in mind, uncertain what tastes he might have. Levi was not picky, but Hange had so kindly reminded him that their new additions might be and he’d made an effort to find a variety of food for Eren to choose from, sure that the Omega would enjoy at least one of them. 

His mercurial eyes reflected the light as it dimmed some when the seaweed lazily fanned back out behind him once he’d passed the threshold, glowing as they adjusted quickly in the dark. He didn’t expect to nearly collide with the Omega just inside and he dropped the nets as Eren let out a pitched and startled yelp, scrambling backwards in a flurry of panicked bubbles. So frantic was his sudden retreat that he propelled himself right into a shelf of loose rock the Tiger Requiem had not yet cleared out of the dwelling though it was piled meticulously and out of the way against the divoted wall. 

Waving the bubbles away with concerned annoyance and hearing more distressed sounds flood from the Omega, the Requiem bumped the cave wall with his tail with enough force to send vibrations through the water, the echo of the impact in the smooth rock bringing to life the many phosphorescent living coral that lined the den ceiling some feet above his head so that they could properly see one another. Both first and secondary sets of Levi’s eyelids blinked, assessing what had happened. Several of the large stones had been loosed from the pile in the Omega’s mad scramble and had tumbled down around him, a number of them pinning one of Eren’s fins between the cave floor and the remainder of the piled rock. And it was only a handful of seconds before the Alpha reacted, swiftly cutting through the short distance to assist the struggling and panicked Mer before Eren hurt himself.

“No!” Eren shrieked, abandoning trying to free his fin to instead pick loose rocks that had tumbled around him and throw them hard at the predator, “Get away from me! Find something else to eat!” Unable to stop it, his green eyes were filling with inky tears, breathing hard through his gills as he started to shake. Eren was trying to be fierce and formidable, but the fear of being trapped and devoured was too much for the young Mer to handle. 

The predator scowled, easily dodging the projectiles and continuing his approach. What did Eren think he’d brought the other food for? Levi looked at the frightened Omega as he moved with purposeful slowness in order to reach and remove one of the rocks off Eren's fins, glad Eren had run out of smaller ones to throw at him as he finally spoke to him gruffly in a language Eren could understand, “Be still. I'm not going to eat you.” 

As soon as he was free, Eren quickly scrambled backwards until his back hit the wall again, keeping his eyes on the predator. Now that there was some distance, Eren furiously rubbed the black tears from his eyes with the heels of his hands and took some deep, shuddering breaths from his gills. “Then… what do you want? Why would you take me? You can’t just… I’m… going home!” Eren suddenly declared, trying to keep his voice steady and firm, but wincing when he noticed a cut on his forearm, probably from one of the rocks, plum-black blood seeping from the wound and clouding the water. 

The Requiem Alpha's nostrils flared and finned ears twitched, luminescent silver-blue eyes rapt on the Omega as the scent of Eren's blood flooded his senses. He moved after him again, approach slower, attempting to appear less threatening low to the floor in order to tend to the wound. He explained in low, gravelly tones as he reached for the Omega's injured arm with firm-tenderness, pressing forward when Eren tried to shy away from him,“You are a martyr for your clan. In return for sparing them, you are to be mine now.” He paused, dipping his head to run his slate tongue over the cut on the Omega's forearm, grip tightening to keep him still, “You are too pretty to eat, so I will keep you.”

Eren’s green eyes widened, watching with rapt attention as Levi licked his arm, waiting for the teeth to sink in. When the Alpha looked up, his stormy gaze froze the Omega in place. He was obviously waiting for Eren’s reaction to his words, and it came in the form of a blush, Eren’s entire face flushing with a vibrant blue hue. The Omega couldn’t help but flare his fins, the fluorescent green and gold shining even in the dim light. Within his own kind, the display would almost be considered flirtatious, but the Omega was mostly trying to hide within the fanned out silk shyly. “Your… pattern is pretty too,” Eren reciprocated quietly from behind his feathered fins, repaying the compliment, “I’ve never seen anything like it…” It was the truth, which was why the Alpha had caught him staring at the beginning. Eren couldn’t help but feel himself relax a small amount, though he didn’t fully believe the Alpha. At least he wouldn’t be eaten for the moment. 

Levi ran his tongue across his lips and teeth as he pulled away, releasing one hand to snatch a minty dark strip of kelp from where some grew just next to Eren and wrapped it around his arm with efficient familiarity, careful not to nick the Omega's delicate flesh with his charcoal-taloned fingertips. But his gaze remained elsewhere, lured by the colourful display on Eren's face and fins. “Is that why you were looking at me?” He asked, humming as he tucked in the end of the kelp bandage, shifting unconsciously to show off the smokey stripes and speckles that patterned his muscular tail. No one had ever called them pretty before.

“Yes… I’ve never seen an Alpha like you… I was curious… But… There were other Omegas for you to choose from,” Eren observed, slowly revealing his face if only to look at Levi’s tail more closely, still cautious. 

“There were, but they did not catch my interest as you did. Had you not been among them... Well your clan may not have faired so well,” the Requiem answered, drifting closer to take in the finer features of the Omega's face, lifting a hand as if he might like to trace them. Levi had never considered such fairness to be a desirable quality and certainly had never considered himself or any other of his kin to be such. Even Requiem Omega were built as their Alpha counterparts and were sometimes even more aggressive. He had never known what draw he felt to Eren before then. What ruts he'd had, he’d spent alone, lost in hunger in more ways than he could fathom, and compelled by something like bloodlust and frenzy more than any desire to breed and settle down with an Omega. Perhaps that would change now… If Eren would have him. 

He did not think the Omega would make it easy nor that he would react well to force. The problem was not in that, but in his confidence to woo Eren; he was not known for his gentleness and though it seemed the Omega naturally brought it out in him, he felt as if he were swimming blindly out into open water. Surely such delicate creatures as these Mer required more tender courtship than the Requiem would know. There was little understanding of such romance in the predator kingdom. Breeding was survival; why else would any of them go through the rather vicious ordeal at all? Looking at Eren, Levi was almost embarrassed to admit that he did not know if he would even be capable of mating the other male, but for the first time in his life, he wanted to try.

Eren’s eyes widened then filled with anger at Levi’s words, the jade green beginning to glow with intensity. He held it in though, still as he watched and waited for Levi’s clawed hand to drift closer like the Omega Mer would allow the Alpha to pet him. Eren didn’t let him get that far, opening his mouth wide to show off his pearly, pointed teeth before promptly clamping down as hard as he could on Levi’s hand. He hissed and snarled, gnawing on the appendage as he determinedly tried to break the skin, but it was futile; Eren could not get passed the Alpha’s hardened flesh. 

Letting go, Eren pushed the Alpha away from him as hard as he could, then swam deeper into the cave to hide behind a rock formation. “Saying that had you found me unattractive, my entire family would likely be slaughtered is not a compliment!” He hissed, glowing green eyes still glaring accusingly at the Requiem from behind the rock. 

Levi cocked his head, ears flicking as he looked from his tingling hand to the furious Omega, confused. The fact that he did not want to eat Eren and would spare his family that fate because of it was as much a compliment as any in Requiem terms, considering some of them would even eat their own kind without remorse. Food was food when you were hungry, but Eren, and by proxy his family would never be on the menu. “I don't understand, but it was not my intent to offend you,” he said, trying to gentle his tone and hovering some feet from the Omega, ears flattening to his head, obviously embarrassed though he did not look away from Eren.

Eren’s ears perked a bit at Levi’s apologetic tone. He thought the Alpha would meet anger with anger, violence with violence. He didn’t expect the Alpha to look sorry. “No Mer likes to think about being eaten… or their family being eaten,” he chastised, his tone defensive, but much less angry than it had been. 

The Alpha nodded vaguely, beginning to drift closer ever so slightly again. “But you need not worry over that anymore. Your clan is now in our territory and we will guard it well. You will see them again,” he assured, ears fanning out again cautiously, gills shuttering as he breathed in the scents in the water, finding the Omega’s pleasant despite the remnants of irritation and upset in it.

Venturing a little further out from behind the rock, his torso showing instead of just his head, Eren’s ears perked up all the way. “Really? You swear it?” He asked, a small amount of hope returning to his expression. 

“You have my word,” the Requiem promised without hesitation, setting one hand against the other side of the stone Eren was half hidden behind though he couldn’t recall having gotten so close again, peering at him luminously. “Will you call me by my name now? Not Alpha or Requiem, but Levi?”

Eren flicked his ears and shied away for a moment before he came back. Looking up at Levi, his ears perked as his fins fanned out once more and the Omega cocked his head. “Levi,” he said, trying the name out on his tongue. Somehow it felt oddly intimate, especially with Levi’s glowing eyes staring at him so intensely, and the blue blush returned to his cheeks. 

Levi smiled toothily, pleased and rumbling his approval in the back of his throat; he liked the way the Omega had said it. He perked up abruptly, as if he’d only just remembered, “Are you hungry?”

Eren stared into Levi’s eyes for a moment then gave a nod; yes he was.


	2. Requiem

At the Omega's affirmation, Levi immediately swam back over to the entrance and gathered up the nets he’d dropped earlier. When he returned with them, he settled them on the den floor a few feet from Eren and looked at the Omega expectantly.

Eren’s eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t seen this much food in a long time. “You went hunting… for me?” He questioned, cocking his head to the right, giving Levi the tiniest of smiles. 

Levi’s eyes shifted away, inclining his head while his unoccupied hand rubbed at the back of his neck, both embarrassed and proud to have Eren recognize the gesture. “I did not know what you’d prefer,” he answered, gaze sneaking back to the Omega though his ears remained coloured at the fanned tips with a flush of indigo. But for some reason, he wanted to watch Eren eat what he had provided for him, wanted to see which he favoured so that he could bring more in the future.

Eren looked between the three, his fins fanning out as he got more and more excited. He went to the fish though, grateful they were prekilled, and pulled out a young tuna, his sharp teeth biting into its fatty belly. Eren munched away though he had to be careful of the bone, happily floating just above the cave floor before he looked up at Levi. Eren gave him a bright smile then held out the half eaten fish to the Alpha, since sharing is what they did in his clan. The best way to get on Eren’s good side was food so the Alpha was on the right track. 

Levi gave the Omega a pleasantly surprised look when Eren offered to share his food. Surely that was a good sign. And Tuna was a good choice, easy to hunt because the fish were stupid and panicked in swarms that made it no difficult task to round up many in one hunt. He accepted the half finished fish and devoured it promptly, crunching the bones and flesh with ease between the rows of razored teeth that lined his mouth and rumbled his approval in his chest pleasantly, settling across from Eren to enjoy the meal together with the Omega, not too close, but not so far away either.

Eren looked mildly disturbed as he watched Levi devour the fish, bones and all, realizing how easily the Alpha would be able to devour him as well. He shook his head though, not wanting to dwell on the idea of Levi feasting on his flesh and leaving not a trace of him behind, and instead moving onto the net filled with crustaceans. 

Normally, Eren avoided them since they were such a pain to eat, but he pulled out a crab anyway and started smashing it on the ground. Again and again, he lifted it up and slammed it down, trying to break it open and failing, loosing tiny little growls and whines of frustration. Soon enough, he gave up, never one known for his patience, tossing the crab aside to pick out another fish to eat instead. 

The Alpha watched him as Eren picked up the crab; he’d been sure the sweeter meat would be to his liking, but then it became clear why it had not been the Omega's first choice. Levi cocked his head when Eren began bashing it in an attempt to break it open, became frustrated and discarded it. Levi couldn't help but smile, amused and endeared by the petulant display. He could fix that.

He reached for the abandoned and battered, but stubbornly uncracked crab, digging his clawed fingers into the soft spots between its shell before he pulled it apart, revealing the tender and tasty flesh hidden inside it. Then he offered it to the Omega again without a word.

Eren flinched as he saw Levi reach toward him but then realized that the Alpha had cracked open the crab and was offering it to him. Eren nodded his head, looking up at Levi through his lashes then snatched the crab, pulling away bits of juicy, fresh flesh and popping it in his mouth. Eren’s eyes fluttered closed and he made a trilling moan sound as he swallowed. 

All too soon there was no more crab, and the Omega whined before scrambling to pull out another. He held it out to Levi, silently asking him to open it again with large pleading eyes. 

Levi watched the Omega enjoy the crab with unabashed interest, ears flicking forward when Eren made that sound. He liked that sound, found his chest swelling with unfamiliar pride and no small amount of possessive attraction when he heard it. He did not hesitate to take the crab from the Omega's hands and pry it apart the same as the first, giving it back to him before he reached for another without waiting for Eren to finish. It was good that Eren had such a keen appetite. 

The Requiem had never considered what qualities he would find attractive in a potential mate, but watching the other Mer heartily tuck into the meal Levi had spent a considerable amount of time hunting for him because he had been sure Eren would like the sweet and more delicate flavour; he found it was a quality that made a certain amount of desire curl in his guts. And he purred gutturally in satisfaction, completely forgetting any lingering hunger of his own as he watched his Omega. Maybe it wouldn't be as difficult as he’d first thought.

Eren drifted closer to Levi, if only to receive the crab faster. But when he glanced up Levi was staring at him with a look of hunger. Maybe he wanted some crab too? Pulling the last juicy piece in his claws, he held it up to Levi, so used to eating with his clan in this way, Eren completely forgot about the Alpha’s menacing teeth. 

The Alpha’s dark-stained tongue snaked out between his teeth to curl around the Omega’s fingers and the offered food, not trusting himself not to nip the delicate Mer; he did not want to scare him off again, especially when things seemed to be going so well. He held Eren’s wrist with one hand, fingers having found their way there of their own accord and even after he’d swallowed the crab, he lapped at the Omega’s webbed hand, unable to restrain the instinctive urge to chase after the even sweeter flavour that seemed to cling to Eren. 

Eren’s face scrunched in confusion; he wasn’t done eating. He wasn’t ready to be... groomed? But he guessed maybe Levi was done. Eren pouted for a moment then sighed, bubbles forming at his gills. A good grooming session wouldn’t be so bad as long as the Alpha kept those teeth to himself and the Omega should thank him for the meal anyway. Eren closed the distance and sprawled out on the cave floor on his side right next to Levi, his fins relaxed and floating around him. He didn’t take his hand back, letting Levi lick his fingers, but he did pull on Levi’s free hand, bringing it close to his face as he revealed a green tongue to lick the Alpha’s palm. Eren would avoid Levi’s menacing claws for now, not wanting to cut his tongue but the Alpha tasted… How did a Mer describe the taste of dominance?

Levi froze, pausing with his own tongue pressed along the underside of the Omega’s wrist when he quite suddenly felt Eren’s on his own palm. It was almost startling how the normally insensitive and toughened skin tingled under the too-gentle pressure of the Omega’s tongue. He looked down at him, abruptly registering the position Eren had settled in as submissive and inviting. Before he knew what he was doing, he had settled himself right onto the Omega, heavy tail pinning Eren’s to the sand beneath them as he began to lap at the Omega’s collar aggressively, impressing his own scent on him with a purring growl.

One moment, Eren was relaxed, happily lapping at the palm of Levi’s hand, comfortable as he laid beside the Alpha. The next, he was mounted, pinned to the ground and mauled by the Alpha who had _just_ promised he wouldn’t eat the Omega. Eren immediately shrieked, thrashing and clawing at the Alpha to try and get away before he felt the bite of those teeth in his gills. It didn’t seem likely he’d be able to get away if the Alpha did want to eat him, but Eren couldn’t help his panicked response. 

Eren's sudden mad struggle and the sound that came from him had the Alpha immediately scrambling back away from him, broken out of the instinctive haze that had come over him. He moved away from the Omega so swiftly, he smashed into the wall of the cave and smacked the back of his head on the stone. Cursing colourfully and rubbing at the smarting in his skull, he finally looked back at the Omega, ears flattened back sheepishly. He'd obviously made a mistake and he was sorry, though he didn't understand what it was he’d done in the first place. 

The moment Levi’s weight was off of him, Eren made for the cave opening, scrambling to escape in his panic. More black tears were pouring from his eyes; he was just starting to get comfortable with the Alpha! How could he be so stupid to think he was a mate instead of a meal? 

The Alpha might have let him go if it wasn't dangerous beyond Levi's den at this time of night. He didn't have a choice but to chase him when Eren fled, tackling the distressed Omega several feet outside the kelp wall at the entrance, pressing Eren under him even though the Omega struggled, screeched and hissed.

“Shh, be quiet,” he ordered huskily, sharp eyes scanning the dark waters as the receptors in his skin relayed to him that there were other predators in the area, though not so close as to be threatening, yet. Not that Levi had any doubt that he could eliminate any that might, he had wanted to spend the evening differently.

Eren didn't listen and struggled until he realized this time the Alpha wasn’t going to let up. “You promised! You promised not to eat me!” He blubbered, dark tears so heavy and polluting the water that soon they were both going to be surrounded by a black cloud. 

Levi caught the Omega's flailing hands, tucking them in between them and pressing himself harder against the Omega, bringing his face close to Eren's as he spoke lowly, “I did and I intend to keep it. But here is dangerous, others have not promised the same. You act as prey, you are bound to be treated as such. You must stop this now. Be still.”

Levi’s voice, and even his scent calmed Eren somewhat, stilling under the Alpha’s weight. “Then… then why did you pin me to the ground if you weren’t trying to eat me?” He asked, now confused by the whole event. 

Levi paused, peering down at Eren for a long moment; how in the seven seas had the Omega concluded that he’d been intending to eat him? “I was not trying to eat you… I was…” He trailed off, uncertain exactly what he _had_ been trying to do. He looked around again, stalling as he tried to come up with an answer. “I like you,” he finally said, an odd look crossing his face as if the admission had somehow only just occurred to him though the realization made it no less true.

Eren’s eyes widened to saucers, then his face turned so blue his lips were purple. Turning his face away, Eren’s fins flared, enveloping Levi in a sort of affectionate gesture the Alpha wouldn’t recognize. “If you’d stop scaring me, maybe I’d be open… to your gestures… But you can’t surprise me like that ‘cause you are a predator and I am prey, it’s instinctual for me to panic…” Eren muttered, green gaze flitting back to Levi every so often. “Let’s… go back into your den, before something eats me and I can’t even tell you my courting rituals,” he said, petulance in every word. 

“Oh…” Levi replied dumbly, watching Eren's face change colour as his own followed suit, ears and cheeks turning smoky indigo with his own embarrassment, both flattered and sheepish. It hadn't truly occurred to him just how different Eren's expectations or rituals involving mating may be, not that he was all that familiar with those of his own kind to compare. He hadn't even considered what he was doing when he’d been doing it; he just let his instincts guide him. But Eren was not Requiem, maybe his instincts were a little off afterall...

“Understood,” he said belatedly, glancing around again, though he already knew no predators were in their direct vicinity at the moment, before he slipped his hands around Eren's back and pulled him away from the seabed, close to himself as he made his way back to their den. 

As soon as they reached the den, Eren pulled himself away, swimming purposely in the water to make his fins flow captivatingly around him, framing his flared hips. “First of all… This den is no good. You need shells and shiny rocks and way more soft things… not any of this,” he waved his hands around, “I cannot nest like this!” Eren turned around and narrowed his eyes at the Alpha that was hanging on his every word. His fake bravado seemed to be working when even Eren didn’t quite know what he was doing. “Go lay down in the nest… On your back. And don’t move!” 

Levi hesitated, looking around his den, back at Eren then to the smooth dip in the stone and sand where he had a bed of soft plant life set for sleeping. He moved to follow the Omega's command, uncertain what Eren had in mind, but too curious not to. He may not know, but he was willing to learn.

Eren followed slowly after Levi, until he reached the edge of the nest, making happy clicks in reward for the Alpha's obedience. “Now… don’t grab me… don’t hold me down… don’t flip us… just lay there and let me do what I want,” Eren ordered, still apprehensive about the whole thing, “If you do as I ask, we can complete the first stage of courting. Can you do that?”

The Requiem gave a singular nod, watching Eren as he settled back into position in the nest stiffly, unused to being in such a vulnerable pose. But he remained still and waited for whatever it was the other Mer intended; since it involved courting, it was worth any awkward discomfort he might have felt.

Eren swam forward, hovering a couple inches above Levi’s tail then angled down as he reached Levi’s torso, his body sliding up the Alpha’s until their bellies were touching and Eren’s cheek was rested on Levi’s collar bone. “This is… to develop trust, and learn the feel and smell of each other…” Eren explained, looking up at Levi, his face blue with embarrassment, then hid against the Alpha’s chest shyly, beginning to slightly rub his scent into the tough skin. “You… You can touch me if you want… but you still can’t hold me down.” 

Levi was tense under Eren, skin tingling with that same odd sensation from previous and it took him a moment to properly process the Omega’s words, distracted by the intimate contact between their bodies. He nodded belatedly and slowly lifted his hands to tenderly smooth his palms up and down the length of Eren’s back, familiarizing himself with the contours of bone and flesh. Curious and careful as he touched the other Mer because he really didn’t want to frighten the Omega off again, a rumbling, but pleasant, purring croon vibrating in his chest beneath Eren’s exploration, pleased and encouraging as their scents began to mingle and he began to relax. He could get used to something like this.

Slowly, Eren relaxed as Levi relaxed, answering Levi’s crooning with purrs of his own. But they weren’t done; he hadn’t even gotten to the hard part. Just in case, he pulled on Levi’s hold to see if the Requiem would let him go, and there was only a bit of resistance before Levi did and then Eren settled right back down once again. He smiled up at Levi, even nuzzled his face into the Alpha’s neck in reward before he purred, “You can flip us over now, but… I’m trusting you to let me up if I want to be let up.” 

The Alpha’s tongue ran across his teeth and he swallowed, nodding his understanding before he replaced his hands on the Omega and rolled them over. Pressing Eren to the plush nest, but careful not to put his full weight on the smaller Mer, Levi began scenting him again, the motions much more subdued than they’d been previously, forcibly remaining gentle despite the instinctive desire to aggressively and possessively mark the Omega as his own. Vaguely, he wondered if the others that had claimed one of the delicate Mers were having a similar experience, but that and other obscure thoughts drifted away as he rubbed his indigo-flushed gills against Eren’s.

Eren purred louder and louder as Levi rubbed their gills together. It was an interesting feeling to be so intimate with an Alpha. But there was a sudden build up he didn’t expect and he began to growl. The sound wasn’t angry or aggressive, more demanding and wanting. The green of Eren’s eyes faded into gold as his gills became flaxen as well, and Eren started to bite the skin of Levi’s shoulder. He began to push, obviously signalling to the Alpha that he wanted to roll again. This was a critical moment within the first steps of courting; the Alpha needed to let him up. 

The sound that came from the Omega produced an immediate reaction from the Requiem, responding in kind with a throaty growl of his own. When Eren pushed, Levi rolled without hesitation, understanding instinctively and allowing the Omega to move him. The teeth prickling at his shoulder sent waves of fresh desire through him, and the patterns on his flesh rippled and danced as his own colours became more pronounced in response to Eren’s.

On top again, Eren let go of Levi’s shoulder and lifted his head so glowing yellowed eyes could catch Levi’s moonstone as the gold colouring even started to bleed into the Omega’s fins as well. He abruptly leaned down to begin licking at Levi’s mouth with his green and now sunshine speckled tongue, trying to gain access, but continued to roll so now they were in constant motion. The Omega had never done this before, but it was instinctive to keep churning in the nest, his flexible body winding its way around the Alpha’s. All he wanted to do was continue to roll, scent, bite, and taste the Alpha that was in the beginnings of staking his claim. Being able to do this without the Alpha pinning him was enough for Eren to concede, he _wanted_ to accept Levi’s advances. Whether they made it through the next stages to become mates was still up in the air. 

A low thrumming trill echoed in Levi’s throat as he opened his mouth to Eren, careful not to nip as Eren’s tongue sought to map it and his own dark tongue gave eager chase. He continued to let the Omega roll them, giving control of their pace entirely to the more delicate Mer without complaint, shifting his weight instinctively to participate in the act. As they moved, so too did the Alpha’s hands, curious fingers tracing skin and silky scale and spreading more of his thick scent over his intended Omega. This was not bad at all. Eren tasted like nothing else; he would never have enough.

It was a long time before a humming trill of satisfaction escaped Eren and his golden tongue slipped back into his own mouth. The Omega also ceased their rolling, floating down into their nest with Levi on top of him. “You… Taste good…” Eren whined, unable to stop himself from rubbing his face into the Alpha’s and licking Levi’s cheek insistently. He seemed to be in a state of euphoria that he’d never experienced before, covered in pheromones that reeked of claim. Eren couldn’t help but purr in pleasure at the weight of the Alpha on top of him and hugged him closer; much differently than the way he’d reacted to Levi’s pin earlier in the day. 

Levi made a guttural sound of agreement, covering as much of the Omega under him with his body as he could in an instinctive show of possessive protectiveness. He very much liked the sounds Eren was making. He felt heavy and his skin itched and tingled everywhere the Omega touched him. He buried his face against the side of Eren’s throat, nosing behind one delicately fanned and gold-flushed ear as he settled on top of the smaller male comfortably, murmuring against the Omega’s tender gills, “Does this mean we can continue courting?”

Pausing between licks of Levi’s cheek Eren trilled to himself quietly as he tried to think through the haze. “I think so… I feel… good? I’ve never turned this colour before… Don’t you feel any different?” Eren asked before he started licking the Alpha again, his tongue running delicately around Levi’s sensitive gills, chasing the purple colour that hadn’t been there before. 

The Requiem hummed lowly and tilted his head to afford the Omega better access to the vulnerable gills along his throat. “Yes… I’ve not felt this before,” he replied in a roughened murmur, soot-tipped fingers kneading firmly at Eren’s sides and hips. “What comes next?” He did not mean to rush, was enjoying the fond exchange quite thoroughly, but there was an urging inside him that made the itch beneath his skin spread and his colours deepened further, the patterning standing out in stark contrast to his paler skin, provocative and warning, but not dangerous.

“I don’t really know…” Eren answered, pulling back and suddenly looking quite worried, “They didn’t tell me much other than that I had to initiate the roll with my chosen Alpha… And that we gotta keep doing that every time we feel the urge… And after a while of doing that, _something_ will happen… But I don’t know what _something_ is… The elders said I’d just _know_...” He nudged at Levi’s cheek with his nose until the Alpha looked up at him. “Do you know? What do Requiems do for courting?” 

“Mmn, Requiem courtship is brief if it occurs at all. When an Alpha is looking to attract a potential mate, they show what strength and skill they have in providing and protecting, but little else. Mating between Requiem is not a pleasant affair. Our Omegas are more often than not twice as aggressive and vicious as any Alpha and they are not easily wooed,” Levi answered, shifting atop the Omega and still exploring his skin with both fingers and mouth lazily between his words, “Most Requiem do not bond, but mate out of necessity. That’s why we are not many. That I and some of the others took mates of your kind is somewhat radical. I cannot say how mating will be between us; I do not know, but I can say, I’ve never sought to bond or mate before now. I hadn’t the desire before you.” 

“Are we… Did we mate just then?” Eren asked, cocking his head to the right, his fins engulfing the both of them, wrapping and unwrapping around the Alpha constantly. “That was pretty simple… The elder Omegas said it would hurt though… You didn’t hurt me at all!” He added, smiling at the Alpha with much smaller pointed teeth. Eren didn’t wait for an answer before he began licking Levi on the cheek once again while his gold tipped fingers skimmed the muscles of the Alpha’s back. 

Levi did not think they had mated; Eren’s elders were not likely to be wrong about the discomfort of the ordeal. But he did not say so. There was no reason to scare the Omega. Levi would try his best to be gentle, but he could make no promises one way or another. There was no sense in worrying over it now though, surely their instincts would guide them when the time came. For now, he was content enough to lay claim to the Omega with lips and hands and cover him in the heavy scent of his Alpha. It was unexpectedly satisfying, warm and thick in his core and he crooned encouragingly as Eren’s agile fingers mapped his backside.

The more the Omega relaxed, the more his bright golden colour faded from his scales back to green. Eren purred and trilled in response to the Alpha’s croons, nuzzling into Levi’s chest as his breaths began to even out, small bubbles forming at his mouth. “You're… warm…” The Omega sighed, his tail winding its way around Levi’s as he drifted off to sleep.


	3. Steadfast

Levi let Eren sleep. It was late into the dark hours now and the Omega could use the rest, he was certain. Though, he himself remained restless, unable to join his intended in peaceful slumber as his skin itched and burned vaguely. He should not be idle while his mate slept; he could not.

He extracted himself from Eren with careful tenderness and tucked the soft kelp in around him, lingered for long minutes after just to watch him, and touch him as he slept, his hair, face, and the silky tendrils of clinging fins. Such a beautiful thing… It was not so strange that the Omega had demanded to be surrounded by other beautiful things. As he should be…

He left the den not long after that, hunting for the softest sea sponge, anemone and plant for nesting and the prettiest, most colourful, shimmering and luminescent stones, coral, pearl, gems and jewels and treasures from land that had been claimed by the depths, things that were unique like his chosen mate, exquisite and like nothing else. More food too, different types of crab, lobster, and even shrimp, sardines, snapper, and sweet kelp, compelled by instinct to stock up though they had not even finished what he had already provided. It would not be enough without when the time came. What time that was exactly, he couldn’t say, but he didn’t argue the compulsions, sure that his instincts would not lead him astray, especially with Eren’s requirements in mind. 

He made as many trips as was necessary to bring the haul back to their den, leaving the trinkets and fresh bedding in small piles around the nest where Eren slept before tucking the food away in the divoted rock wall not so far from the sleeping Omega. And then he would leave again to collect more, uncertain of how much was required of him, but assuming more would be better; Eren would have plenty to choose from that way. 

Eren was slow to wake, restlessly rolling in an unfamiliar nest and alone for the first time in his life. So he was already anxious and frightened by the time his double eyelids blinked open only to be greeted by darkness. Instantly he panicked, screeching out in distress for his Alpha. Where was Levi?

The Requiem was not close to home when Eren woke, but attuned as he was to the shifting currents, particularly surrounding his territory, he physically felt his Omega’s call. And with the prickle under his skin that urged him, he turned tail with the last haul of treasures he’d collected and cut through the water with single minded intent as he returned to Eren.

By the time Levi got to him, Eren was sitting in a murky cloud of black from his tears, irrationally wailing about being alone. His instincts were going haywire and the young Omega had never been hysterical like this before. 

Levi fumbled through the kelp doorway in his haste to reach his mate and bumped into the cave wall, lighting up the ceiling once again. He shook his head as he recovered and swam right into the cloud surrounding the nest and his distraught Omega, pressing Eren back into the nest and settling on top of him with a low rumbling croon. “That’s enough Eren, it’s alright now,” he murmured, effectively pinning the Omega to the kelp bed, “I did as you asked.”

Eren hadn’t expected the Alpha to show up so quickly, looking up at Levi with wide eyes as black droplets floated off his cheeks. “W-Where did you go?” He blubbered, not realizing what Levi had brought back for him. He was instantly calming down though, the Alpha’s warmth and body weight soothing. It seemed almost hilarious to gain comfort from a predator; Eren never thought that would happen and so soon. He had only _just_ accepted Levi’s offer of courting.

The Alpha’s brow furrowed, kneading at the Omega as he loomed over him, “As I said, I did as you asked. Is it enough?” He glanced from Eren’s eyes to the many piles littering the cave floor around the nest and back again questioningly, fully prepared to retrieve more if necessary and not quite understanding the Omega’s upset.

Lifting his head since the rest of his body was being held down by the Alpha’s bulky weight, Eren surveyed the piles of glittering decorations. His pupils immediately dilated then contracted, turning into slits as his nesting instincts took hold. “Off! Off, off, off!” Eren suddenly demanded, squirming his way out from under Levi and scrambling to the first pile. He began lifting each object up delicately to examine and trilled his delight, his fins fanning out and taking up a large part of the cave. 

Levi growled and snorted a little gust of bubbles, further confused and frustrated with Eren’s shifting moods. He still did not know if it was enough or not. But all he could do was drift after the Omega, compelled to follow, give chase, keep watch, and wanting desperately to know what Eren thought of the things he’d brought for him. 

The previously pale skin of his lower belly where tail met torso, just above the well shielded pouch that housed his reproductive organs began to flush with that same smoky indigo hue, signalling virility and cautioning of his impending rut as it spread further up his belly with every pleased chirp and trill that came from the Omega. He liked those sounds very much.

“How… how did you find so many?” Eren asked, clearly bewildered by the amount, overwhelmed by all the shiny interesting objects. His instincts were so stirred up and he wasn’t even sure where to start with organizing everything. So he decided to thank the Alpha instead, turning around in a whirl of green fins to tackle Levi, licking his face enthusiastically as his fins completely tangled around the both of them. 

The Requiem caught him as Eren tackled him, letting them drift back to the sandy bottom surrounded by the many gifts Levi had collected for the Omega and smiled at him as pride welled up thickly in his chest. “I am a skilled hunter. And my territory is expansive,” he answered, tone gravelly as Eren’s tongue bathed his face affectionately, “Is it enough? I brought more food and bedding materials as well.”

“It’s wonderful!” Eren chirped before he shoved his face into Levi’s shoulder and began to gnaw on the skin as his claws began to knead into the Alpha’s muscles. The Omega didn’t really understand why those urges struck him, but they did as gold began to colour his fins once again. 

A throaty growl of approval sounded from the Alpha as Levi reciprocated his Omega’s affection, beginning to grope along Eren’s backside and tilting his head to allow the other male to mouth along his throat. He did not mind Eren’s teeth in the least, rumbling his appreciation as the colouring on his belly spread further up his torso and deepened in hue. 

Looking up from Levi’s shoulder, intending to lick at Levi’s mouth once again, the sparkling of several of the objects recaptured Eren’s attention. The gold colouring of his fins immediately faded back to green and the Omega started to try and wiggle out of Levi’s hold. But instead of letting him go, Levi growled and held on tighter, glaring down at Eren. “I gotta… They aren’t right. I have to put them in the right place,” Eren whined, trying to explain as he struggled harder to get away, placing both palms on Levi’s pectorals and pushing as hard as his strength would allow. 

Levi snorted and huffed, another scattering of frustrated little bubbles escaping him. He didn’t want to let the Omega go, not that he really understood what urges he had should he refuse to. But he didn’t want to upset Eren again, did not like when his tears stained the water and certainly did not want to be the cause of any more of them. He was irritated, irrationally jealous of the many pretty things he’d gifted his intended mate simply because they kept stealing away the Omega’s attention when he wanted it for himself. 

It took some seconds of Eren’s squirming, pushing and disgruntled chirps before the Requiem released his grip with an unhappy grumble. He understood on some level what it was Eren wanted and was doing, but it did nothing to soothe the ache that was starting to throb in his belly or the increasing frustration that crawled under his skin. He let him go and settled back into the nest to watch him and sulk while he waited for Eren to be finished. Maybe then, he would not be distracted anymore…

Eren scrambled away the moment Levi allowed him to, looking back warily when he was a safe distance away. Levi was acting strangely, the Omega thought, but Eren didn’t dwell on it, turning his attention back to his pretty things and got to work. 

It took a long time to place everything just right, soothing that irritation as another began to grow under Eren’s skin. By the time he was satisfied, his scales were bright gold in colour with no green to be seen and his scent glands were swollen, painful to the touch. He floated hazily over to where the Alpha had been huffing and growling the entire day, looking forlorn and upset himself. “Levi… I feel… I feel weird…” Eren said, laying out beside the Alpha, and rubbing his cheek into the sand like he might get some relief from the coolness of the cave floor. 

Levi was silent for several long seconds, his mercury gaze liquid and mirror-like as it travelled over the Omega, nostrils flaring as he took in the scent of him in the water. His instincts were telling him to touch, to pin, to press his teeth to Eren’s skin and… 

He made another guttural sound, rumbling thickly in his chest as he reached out to touch at the Omega’s now entirely flaxen scaling. He shifted closer too, hovering almost predatorily and strongly wanting to cover the other male again with his body as he ran his dark-stained tongue along his many teeth, tasting Eren in the water as the swollen glands nearest his gills released alluring and delicious oils into the sea around them. “I think… I can... assist,” he finally answered, compelled by instinct and desire to be closer as the indigo on his belly rippled in a clear mating display.

Eren looked up with his eyes still green, the only part of his body left without gold, “You… You can? How…” The Omega rolled onto his side as he watched Levi get closer, unsure what exactly was going on with the both of them.

Levi didn’t have a direct answer; he didn’t really know how. He just felt that he could. Instinct pressed at him insistently as he came to settle atop the Omega with a low rumble of approval. “I...can,” he murmured haltingly, unable to elaborate further as his gaze lingered on Eren’s swollen glands and he licked his lips unconsciously before he quite abruptly buried his face against the flushed flesh. Unable to resist any further, he let his instincts have control and began nuzzling and lapping at the glands, guttural sounds rumbling in his own throat as the taste of Eren filled all his senses and thrust him into frenzied desire, pinning the Omega with his weight to hold him still as his own thick arousal began to permeate and mingle with his mate’s. 

Eren wasn’t expecting the Alpha to tackle him, and this time, he knew within himself that Levi wasn’t going to let him up. The Omega squeaked in distress anyway, trying to push the Alpha off and wiggle away, but Levi just growled into his swollen scent glands, grabbing Eren by the wrists and pinning them above his head. Levi’s claws were digging into the Omega’s skin and soon enough drew blood, forcing Eren to cry out in pain. “Levi! Please! It-It hurts!” managed to whimper, hoping that whatever spell the Alpha was under would soon break. 

The familiar and potent scent of Eren’s blood, although sweet, was like an electric bolt through the haze that had taken the Requiem over. He recognized the unexpected scent as injury to his mate and Eren’s distress registered seconds after, so sudden that he stilled, frozen as he blinked down at the Omega. And just as suddenly, he let him go, confusion and shame creeping into his scent and embittering the arousal that still buzzed viciously under his skin. With abrupt clarity, he understood. “I am… in rut,” his voice was so low, it was barely audible, thick and gravelly in his throat as he shook with the effort not to reach for the Omega again, even as the other Mer fled from him, “I’m sorry… Eren...” He could not blame him.

Eren fled as soon as he could, scrambling across the sand to hide behind a rock formation, breathing hard through the prey instincts he was bombarded with to get away. It took a long time before he dared peek out from behind the rocks to glance at the Alpha who surprisingly hadn’t moved. “What… What is _rut_?” Eren asked, his voice shaky and the words blurted out like he had to force himself to speak. 

Levi didn’t answer, couldn’t work his mouth to form words when his jaw was clenched so tightly that both sets of his teeth ached. He was watching Eren, his cloudy gaze even stormier than previous and the coloration on his belly radiated more intensely. He had never been near an Omega during rut before, never sought one out and had never desired to _breed_ so badly as he did then. It was a struggle he was unprepared for, obviously. He had the strong urge to chase after Eren, wanting to force him from his hiding place, press him down, and…

He gave his head an abrupt and forceful shake, trying to quiet his mating instincts so that he could think properly. He swallowed once, twice, bubbles forming at his gills as he wrestled himself for control of the situation that he’d never really considered he would even be in. His muscles slowly became less tense, the ferocious need dulling to a heated simmer deep in his guts, colours lingering with dark vibrance because it was not over, even if it had stubbornly retreated for the moment. He’d had to convince them; they would not be successful at all if they could not appeal to their chosen mate, their very _delicate_ mate.

He licked his lips and unclenched his clawed fingers, still unable to tear his predatory eyes away from the cowering Omega even as he drifted back towards the nest, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Eren. “Rut is... dangerous for you,” he finally broke the anxious silence that had settled for some seconds that felt more like eternities, voice hoarse and thick between the water as he settled in as much as he could to appear less threatening. He really didn’t want to harm the fairer Mer, “Don’t come unless you are prepared to be mated, understand?”

Eren’s ears flattened against his head as he drew his fins to his body to make himself appear smaller and less noticeable at the mention of danger. But it was hard to think with his body so sluggish and aching. Especially when his instincts were screaming at him to get away then making him ache at the distance. So the Omega remained stuck behind the rock with Levi writhing and hissing in the nest. 

“Does it… Does it hurt?” Eren finally managed to ask, peaking over the rock to watch the Alpha who only answered with a frustrated growl. Every time Levi moved, bright flashes of indigo caught Eren’s eye, transfixing him and making the skin under his gills itch even worse. It was enough to make him start rubbing his neck and shoulders against the rock, flooding the cave with the taste of his pheromones. But no matter how much he rubbed, the ache remained. 

Pulling himself over the rock, Eren tried a different tactic and rolled around in the soft cool sand to try and soothe his irritated skin. Again that did nothing, so he dug his claws into the sand, kneading at it as he glanced back at the Alpha. Levi’s back was turned to him, so the Omega dared to inch closer, aiming to rub himself against the kelp that lined the nest in search of relief. The Alpha seemed totally disinterested in him now that he was in ‘rut’ or whatever Levi had called it. It was probably okay to be at least a little bit closer, especially when he could better taste the Alpha’s pheromones in the water near the nest. 

Eren made it all the way to the edge before the Alpha whipped around in a flash, dragging the Omega into the nest and pinning his flailing limbs down once again. 

Once he’d returned to the nest, Levi hadn’t been able to remain still, restlessly circling and causing a stir in the dwelling waters. He was attempting to keep himself from pursuing the Omega, consciously ignoring the churning in his belly and the heat in his blood. It was no easy feat and he was growling and tossing his head as he moved.

The moment Eren ventured too close, the scent of him so alluring, so _exquisite_ , Levi lost the battle of wills he was waging, unable to keep his vigilance when his intended Omega was within reach once again even after his warning. His instincts surged to the forefront and he had pinned the other Mer before he knew what he was doing. And he could do little to stop what urges raged through him in the wake of his unrestrained rut. 

The Requiem nosed along his throat, dark-stained tongue snaking out to taste as Eren squirmed, hissed and chirped futilely within his grip. As if Levi might let him go again, as if the Alpha could. His hold was not likely to be as tender as he might have hoped, but he could do nothing to gentle it further as he greedily lapped at the golden scale along the Omega’s collar and settled his tail heavily over Eren’s.

Eren instantly panicked and fought as hard as he could to release himself, bucking, pushing, and biting. But it was as if he was fighting against stone for Levi didn’t move a muscle and couldn’t seem to understand the Omega’s upset like he had before. Eren was near inconsolable with fright until the Alpha found his swollen scent glands and began to massage the oily substance out with his mouth and tongue. 

“ _Ohh_ ,” Eren gasped with bubbles escaping, settling down with every swipe of Levi’s tongue. The Alpha was soothing his irritation and making his body tingle with pleasure while he was at it. So instead of pushing Levi away, Eren began to pull him closer, wrapping his fins around the Requiem and turning his head to give better access to his scent gland. 

The moment the Omega Mer stopped fighting him and began to reciprocate instead was the moment the Alpha allowed Eren motion, rolling the both of them in the water as they had before. The Omega did not try to escape again and instead became more pliant against him as they churned, wrapping himself more tightly around the Requiem, seemingly unafraid of the danger he could potentially be in. Levi was hardly in his right mind as his instincts dictated his every movement with single-minded intent. He was going to breed this Omega. 

As he continued to mouth over Eren’s skin and grope him, surprisingly without drawing further blood, his penis began to prepare for the act, becoming engorged and pressing its way insistently from within the protective pouch that housed it. It had happened on occasion, but it had never been in the presence of another Mer, especially not one compatible for mating and Levi was uncertain where exactly it sought to go.

Eren mewled at the Alpha, his body entirely gold in colour now as he mouthed up Levi’s neck then sucked on his scent gland in return. The flavour made his tongue tingle and the more the Alpha rubbed their bellies together, the more his insides began to burn until it spread to the rest of his body and turned the scales of his lower abdomen bright ruby red. 

Right in the middle of this new patch of colour, a slit appeared marking the entrance to Eren’s reproductive pouch. The Omega didn’t even know it was there, both too focused on languidly rolling and sliding against one another to notice. He definitely wasn’t prepared for something hard to poke then snag on something so sensitive, making him squeal in alarm. Thankfully whatever it was seemed to miss, pressing into his stomach instead. Somewhat ceasing his rolling, the Omega looked up at Levi with dazed confusion. 

The sound made the Alpha’s ears twitch. _Close…_

The alarm and the fearful confusion in his mate’s eyes gave him pause only a second before his instincts advised him; willing was better than not. He pressed in to take Eren’s mouth in a somewhat uncoordinated, but nonetheless passionate liplock, trying to remain conscious of his many teeth as his tongue snaked in between the Omega’s lips. His saliva had sweetened to provide a rather potent pheromone to ease the pain and facilitate the breeding process as their rolling became lazy. He hadn’t known, but it was rather convenient.

And the next time he found _that_ place, he did not miss. 

Eren sucked on the Requiem’s tongue, his alarm and confusion waning as the sweetness overloaded the Omega’s senses and lulled him into a false sense of security. Levi’s touches felt good and he tasted good, so Eren relaxed into the rolling. Even when the Alpha began to rock against his stomach, then his hip, poking and nudging against him and making him tense up, Levi would just shove his tongue into the Omega’s mouth once more, soothing Eren with the sweet flavour. 

Eventually, the Alpha managed to line himself up with Eren’s soft slick entrance, catching on the edge then thrusting inside. But no amount of Levi’s saliva would dull the stabbing pain of first penetration, tearing a shriek from the Omega and making him thrash. When he couldn’t break free, Eren sunk his teeth into Levi’s scent gland until blood coated his mouth. 

Levi did not even give pause, unable to stop once he was inside even if he had wanted to; he could not spare the Omega the pain of first mating. He wanted him probably even more as Eren’s teeth scarred him, showing off just what damage the delicate Mer could do even if it was nothing in comparison to what Requiem were capable of. 

He held him tighter, growled and grunted and bucked into him and he abruptly and desperately desired to mark the Omega as well, claim him, _bite_ him… He might have too if he hadn’t tasted the Omega’s blood in the water already from where Levi’s claws had most recently nicked his skin. Instead, when he was urged to lunge forward to clamp his deadly teeth into the Omega’s shoulder, he managed to shield Eren with his own forearm, sinking them into his own thicker flesh with a viciously thunderous growl, though the damage was far less this way. He could always mark Eren another day, when he was not so out of his wits with wanting as he was then.

It felt too good, overwhelming, like nothing he could have imagined, painful as the bites may be, he could hardly feel them beneath the deep throbbing in his blood that seemed to pulse with every thrust of his body against his Omega’s. He could feel something building in his belly, feel the thick roiling of impending heat in his guts, the indigo patterning so dark, it was nearly purple as his sex grew further inside the other Mer in preparation, for what exactly, he didn’t know, but he knew it wouldn’t be so long now until he found out.

Eren was holding on for dear life, hissing around the flesh his teeth were embedded in. Every time it hurt or felt like too much, Eren would release his jaw only to move and bite again, leaving a trail of bite marks across Levi’s shoulder. Surprisingly enough, the more the Requiem thrust into him, the less painful the intrusion became, his body instinctively opening up for Levi as he was flooded with endorphins. Eventually, the pain went away altogether, replaced by sudden and intense pleasure that forced a strangled squeak from the Omega. He couldn’t help but try and chase it, throwing off Levi’s rhythm now that he was an apparently willing participant. 

The Alpha’s growling became deeper, thrumming in his chest as Eren disrupted his rhythm, staggering the steadily building tension in his belly frustratingly. He readjusted after a second or two, rolled the Omega in the nest and bit his own arm again to avoid the urge to get a hold of the other Mer with his teeth instead. As Requiem were wont to do, but Eren was no Requiem and it was all the Alpha could do to reign in the more vicious of his instincts as he found a new rhythm, syncing with the Omega’s as they began to move together. Willing was definitely _better_...

His blood rushed as his tail propelled him into each powerful thrust, the dark colourations on his abdomen had spread down the underside, warning of the impending peak of their mating. He was not prepared for it when it happened, bucking and stiffening abruptly as his member swelled and small barbs bristled up along its ridge to lock him in place. He made a low keening sort of sound, muffled with his own bloodied flesh in his mouth, but thick as his scent with pleasure and triumph as he began to fill the Omega with his seed.

Twitching and shuddering, Eren whimpered at the feeling of being stuffed to the brim. It should be painful, he realized, but instead every gush inside sated his instincts, making him feel euphoric. The horrible irritation he was overcome with before was replaced with anticipation. Something was going to happen as a result of their coupling but Eren could only focus on the Alpha above him.


End file.
